Opinion: Why I won’t be taking part in the #icebucket challenge

I watched the ice bucket challenge turn from clever charity campaign to viral, self obsessed wet t-shirt competition

celebs-bikini-ice-bucket-challenge

by Jessica Anais Rach |
Published on

What was initially a way to raise awareness of the little-known ALS research charity, seems to have turned into  the social equivalent of a chain letter- emotional blackmail by public nomination disguised as a charitable gesture, coupled with the perfect way for sexy self promotion.

For those lucky creatures who have managed to avoid all knowledge of this craze, a hapless being is chosen to pour ice cold water over their head within 24 hours of being nominated (often whilst writhing around in appropriately unsuitable clothing), and then selects their nippy comrades to do the same/ or donate. The cycle continues. Forever it seems.

Pamela Anderson publicly refused to do the challenge

Why I won't be taking part..

It's online peer pressure

I refuse to be bullied into pouring ice cold water over my head to publicly support a charity. I would rather support my chosen charity quietly, something I do already.

It doesn't raise real awareness

How many celebrities and normal people doing the challenge, actually know why they are doing it, other than succumbing to peer pressure? They may know the name of the charity, but that's where it ends. The only intelligent celeb around, it appears, is Pamela Anderson. The Baywatch star publicly refused to do the challenge, as she had actually done some research into the charity, and discovered they test on animals.

It's shameless self promotion

The nature of the challenge gives people the perfect excuse to pose in white t-shirts or bikinis, really only serving the purpose of self promotion, not people suffering from Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. How many people are doing it for the charity and how many people are doing just to look good?

Lily Allen and Iggy Azalea doing the challenge

It misses the point

How many people who have done the challenge have actually donated? The conditions of the challenge, stipulate that it should be completed within 24 hours OR you must donate. Does this mean that everyone from Katie Price to Victoria Beckham didn't donate? Or did they just do the challenge as an 'added bonus'. I've even seen companies use it as a way to promote the clothes a celeb is wearing whilst doing the challenge.

Where does the money go?

ALS themselves admit that only 27% of donations go to research. The rest goes to admin fees, fundraising and community services. But shockingly, reported research into their 2013 tax returns shows over 50% ( $12.5 million from revenues totaling $24 million) of what the ALS Association receives appears to support salaries of people working for the Association, with the CEO apparently receiving a $339,475 salary last year.

It's a huge waste of water

Whilst thousands are suffering from water deprivation, we are splashing it around in bucket-loads. Even Scottish island Colonsay was left without water due to the splash-happy craze.

It's annoying

My Twitter/ Facebook/ Instagram feed is permanently full off bucket-wielding 'crazies', keen to show how kind-hearted they are. Cue backlash.

Closer's Deputy Editor Kayleigh is in favour of the ice bucket challenge

While I'm not a fan of the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge videos popping up all over my news feed, there's no denying that it has done what it set out to do; raise awareness for a horrible illness.

Jessica has said that many people who take the Ice Bucket Challenge probably aren’t educating themselves about ALS. They’re not learning what it is, how it affects its sufferers and their families, how debilitating and devastating it is – they’re just in it for the sexy wet T-shirts.

But, despite this, the Ice Bucket Challenge IS working. Because, while most people aren't educating themselves on ALS, SOME people are. And, ironically, the more people criticise those taking part, the more likely it is that media outlets, celebrities and social media users will go out of their way to talk about ALS.

Even better? Some people are donating money.

Has everyone who's taken part in the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge donated money to the charity? Of course not. It would be absolutely amazing if they had. But some have - and millions of pounds has been raised as a result.

Post by Leonardo DiCaprio.

The whole point of the Ice Bucket Challenge is to raise awareness and encourage funding for the ALS Association - and, in that respect, it has worked. I doubt anyone even knew what ALS was before all of this kicked off, which means that - unlike the 'No Makeup Selfie' trend for Breast Cancer Care, which professed to raise awareness for an illness we were already very much aware of - ALS has made headlines. For, perhaps, the first time ever.

Annoying, yes. But missing the point, I don't think so.

Do you agree with the ice bucket challenge?

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